Gun firing at high elevations



.K. V6LLER. 'GUN FIRINGEA'T HIGH ELEVATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1914.

1,413,077. Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

WITNESSES I HWENTDR NET TTiES PTENT GUN FIRING AT HIGH ELEVATIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Application filed August 18, 1914. Serial No. 857,347.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIGNS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.)

. ap ertains to make and use the same.

uns firing at a high elevation are known in which a devlce, liberated when the gun barrel is brought from the firing position v into the loading position, locks the trigger until the latter is unlocked by the return of the barrel into the elevated firing position. The device consists of a two-armed lever mounted to turn on the gun carriage and adapted to hold with one of its ends a spring pm, which looks the trigger while its other end bears against a stop which is carried on a part of the elevating mechanism that remains stationary during the return from the elevated position.

This invention relates to a construction of this device which is improved in respect of the fact that security against premature firing of the gun also obtains when the gun barrel has not returned completely into its original position. For this purpose the arm of the lever is permanently connected with an eye carried by the lower end of the looking pin.

A construction according to the invention is shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing in side elevation. Fig. 2 is sec tion on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the engagement between the locking pin and the trigger lever.

On the gun carriage is journalled a twoarmed lever a one end of which bears upon a lug o on a part of the elevating mechanism which remains stationary during the return of the barrel from the elevated or firing position to the loading position. A locking pin 10, mounted in a housing on the gun barrel is designed, in the charging posi tion, which is that shown in the drawing, to prevent movement of the trigger lever y in the direction for firing. The lever 11. is subject to the action of a spring 2 which continually tends to bring the lever into the safety position. So also the spring 8 urges the locking pin w into the safety position.

Assuming that the gun barrel, together with the gun carriage and the toothed segment f of the elevating mechanism, is in the elevated position and is now to be charged, the coupling '5 is disengaged in the known manner with aid of the hand lever g and connecting rod 0, and then the carriage together with the barrel is swung back into the horizontal position while the toothed segment f retains the position which it had. In consequencethe end of the lever a is dis engaged from the lug o and the springs s and 2 bring the locking pin 'w into the safety position shown in Fig. 3. It is therefore now impossible to move the trigger and to fire the gun prematurely.

Only after the gun has been charged, the breech has been closed and the gun barrel has been depressed again at its rear end, whereby the coupling 71 has become again engaged, is the lever u moved by the lug o against the action of the spring 2 and .5; this lever now withdraws the locking pin to from the safety position so that the gun can be fired in the properly elevated position.

Owing to the continual engagement of the lever 24 in the eye 10 of the locking pin, such engagement and the action of the parts is ensured even if the gun barrel is not returned into its original position after firing.

I claim as my invention:

. The combination with a gun for firing at high elevations, a cradle for said gun, and an elevating mechanism, of a trigger lock on said gun having an eye at one end, a lever fulcrumed on said gun cradle for moving said lock, one arm of said lever having a sliding engagement with the eye of said lock, and a projection on a part of said elevating mechanism with which the other arm of said lever is designed to contact to effect retraction of said locking pin when the gun is returned to its firing position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' KARL voLLER.

Witnesses RoMIN SCHWARTZ, AMIS Venom. 

